Announcing the New Director

I am excited to announce the appointment of Lauren Allgood as the new Director of Day Break starting January 2, 2010. Lauren currently works at McLean Bible Church and co-leads the Future Leader's Program, raising up exactly what the name implies, "future leaders" of the church. She is also a mentor at DayBreak and has served in many other capacities within DayBreak including roles in the after school program, tutoring, and large events such as the Turkey Outreach, Back to School Carnival, and Christmas Store.

Lauren will be finishing her MBA at George Washington University School of Business this fall and has an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Georgia. She also has extensive experience in missions through our church partner, World Relief, the Global Impact Ministry, and Pioneers.

Before coming to McLean Bible Church, Lauren served in the economic policy office at The White House and acted as a congressional aide to the Senator from her home state of Georgia.

In the meantime, we are also excited to share with you that one of our own board members of DayBreak will serve as Interim Director until Lauren assumes her duties. Dennis Bradford is vice chair of DayBreak's Board and serves on the Executive Committee. He has been involved with various ministries at MBC such as Global Impact and Intensity. Dennis is a retired military officer who served in the US Army around the world for over 20 years. He is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Christian Counseling & Discipleship from Capital Bible Seminary. His past education includes a M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Eastern University and a B.S. in Accounting from Jacksonville State University. He has lived in the Republic of South Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Republic of Panama; and traveled to Iraq, El Salvador, Ecuador, Honduras, Haiti, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Germany and India.

On another note, Jessie Webb, the Middle/High School Coordinator at DayBreak is no longer working at DayBreak. Due to the fact that we are in the latter stages of a strategic planning process right now, we will not be rehiring anyone for this position until after the plan is complete. Please pray for Jessie as he transitions into the new things that God has in store for him.

Also, we are proud to announce that Jeremy McClain, one of the 2009 DayBreak summer interns, will be staying on staff as the part time, after school program assistant. His passion for the Lord and his ability to lead students in a Godly manner will be such a blessing to the team.

As I complete the last two weeks of my service to DayBreak, I praise the Lord for all that He has done in, through and DESPITE me. His grace and mercy has been evident and I am so grateful for the opportunity to see God at work so vividly. My parting encouragement to all who read this is that you take the leap into God's amazing plan to do immeasureably more than you can ask or imagine in, through and all around you. Position your hearts to be available for His best plan for you. The journey may not always be easy, but you will not regret it, and you will be grateful that you have not wasted your life on the temporal.

My last day will be on August 31st. Please pray for me as I transition out of my role and into a new role with Student Volunteer Movement 2 (http://www.svm2.net/). Please pray for Paul and I as we raise support to do the work, and as we begin traveling extensively both domestically and internationally this fall. If you are interested in following our ministry endeavors in the future, email me at julia.e.vdw@gmail.com and we will keep you in touch with what the Lord is doing through us.

For God's Glory in All of the World,

Julia Harper Van Der Werf

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3: 20-21

A Recap on the Summer

By Andrea Coleman (Elementary Program Coordinator)

While I could sit down with you and spend hours upon hours talking about the ways in which God worked this summer, these few words will have to suffice as I try to encapsulate what I believe were some of the highlights from our summer program.

Superstars. We had 5 amazing interns who, while they may not realize it, challenged me in different ways throughout the summer. They worked very hard to prepare for their lessons, for family circle (praise and worship time), and for recreation. Not only did they do the tasks that were assigned to them, but they constantly went above and beyond, doing whatever it took to get the job done. Their ability to work together and serve one another allowed them to do their job well. What a blessing they were!

Chosen ones. I am convinced that the Lord handpicked each and every child enrolled in the summer program. Although some days were very challenging, there were also days in which I simply stood in awe of the way in which the Lord was working in the lives of the children! I think of two boys who were constantly fighting with one another. One day, I had them stay back from the pool and help me clean. By the end of the afternoon they were laughing and joking with one another, dancing to one of our praise and worship songs, and telling me that they wanted to attend church with me. I will also note that one of the same boys, along with another student, shared the gospel at our End of the Summer Party. Totally God.

Making music to the heavens. One of my favorite times of the day was family circle. I wish you could have heard all 30 kids singing and dancing to the Lord. At times it almost brought tears to my eyes. John, one of the older kids, loved to dance! It didn’t matter whether the song was fast or slow. He found a way to get his praise on! I loved it. I also loved hearing the kids singing in their classes or as we walked them home. Such a sweet sound!

His hands and feet. We could not do what we do in Lincoln Heights without the help of volunteers. There were 5 different mission teams that came and each team was with us for a week. We also had other volunteers who came a few days here and there to serve along side of us. It was so awesome to see believers being Jesus’ hands and feet as they ministered to us and the kids. Having the extra help was an encouragement. There is one woman inparticular who heard about our need for help and started volunteering week 2 of the summer program. Having a very flexible schedule, she was able to volunteer almost every day. There was something different about this woman. She had indicated that she felt the Lord calling her to do something totally different…something that would require her to have to completely rely on the Lord and not her own abilities. It was very evident that she enjoyed serving and was developing a heart for the kids. I was amazed by her commitment not only to serve, but to serve joyfully. She always had a smile on her face and whenever she was absent, the kids asked about her and missed her (the staff did too!! ). Having such amazing help was an answer to prayer.

And although this summer had its challenges, I can say with confidence, that it was a great summer. I look forward with expectancy and anticipation to what next summer has in store!

A Note From Matt....

By Matt Nabinger (Summer Intern)

Oftentimes in ministry, we don’t get to see the fruit of our labor. This unhappy truth can be frustrating and exhausting, especially when we feel as if our work is in vain. This summer, I’ve been teaching the Early Elementary kids about what it means to be a part of God’s family, and with some of the kids, it feels like everything I say goes in one ear and out the other. Up until last week, I was really feeling like nothing was sinking in.

But I have to say that I have seen a change in some of the kids. I especially see it in the way one of the first grader girls, no longer covers her ears and makes strange noises whenever I read scripture. Instead, she listens and asks thoughtful questions about God. What in the world happened to spark such a drastic change? I can only attribute it to the Holy Spirit at work within her.

She is an interesting girl because at the beginning of the summer, she was completely bent on disobedience and doing things her way. There were so many behavior issues with her. On top of behavior issues, she had a skewed self-image. One of the Bible lessons I taught was about how God knew us before we were born, and how important and loved we are by God. I kept telling her, “God loves you! He numbered the hairs on your head! He created you with a purpose!” She would respond with comments such as, “I’m yucky. I’m bad. God doesn’t love me.” What a tangled, twisted web of lies Satan had trapped her in! I kept praying for the Holy Spirit to protect her from the enemy and from his lies. I kept interceding for her—that her eyes would be opened to all the potential she had and all the worth she had in Christ. It has been a difficult process for her, and I am not so naïve as to think it will not continue to be a difficult process, but praise God because there is something different about her now. She has taken noticeable steps toward finding her true identity in Christ.

The past two weeks, when I’ve walked her home at the end of the day, she has joyfully declared to me, “Mr. Matt, I’m gonna be good tomorrow!” She has already purposed in her heart to do things that please God! Toward the beginning of the summer, she would intentionally seek out opportunities to disrupt the Bible lesson and disregard authority. It is so exciting to see a noticeable change in her. It’s like her heart was stone, but now God himself is melting it right before my eyes. I’ll be honest: even though I prayed for her and asked God to change her, I did not fully expect him to do it. I’m ashamed to admit it, but at the very beginning of the summer, I almost wrote her off as too far gone, but God can still change the hearts that we think are too far gone. I love that he can and does do that!

And this young first grader is only one of the incredible, beautiful children here at DayBreak. God is at work here. God is transforming lives. We don’t see it sometimes, but God is always at work. I can see it in the way Terrance excitedly proclaims, “GOD DIED FOR US AND CAME BACK TO LIFE!” whenever asked how to become a part of God’s family. I can see it in the way Sabrina tells me about how God gives her his strength to swim underwater even though she’s afraid (a minor feat, I realize, but the fact that she recognizes her strength comes from God is the important thing). I can see it in the way Cha’Lita offers a helping hand and tries to make friends with everyone in the class—even the kids who are mean to her. God is alive. And God is stripping away lies in the lives of our kids at DayBreak. And while he’s been doing that in the kids, he has been making me more of a leader, more of a protector, and more of a servant than I knew I could be. Jesus is so much more than I was ready to handle.

God is real. God is here. God is working. Our work is not in vain.

If My Desk Location Were Advertised…

By Becky Weeks (Administrative Assistant)

Nice, rarely quiet front office with views of Lincoln Heights and it’s younger residents. Adjacent to high-traffic front door where guests are anxious to enter and enjoy all the fun and excitement beyond it (crowd control sometimes necessary!). Must be willing to cover ears when using the phone as there is a consistently high noise level throughout the building which results from that fun and excitement. Live praise and worship music from the next room provided daily.

This would be a very accurate description of my work space here at DayBreak! It’s not your average cubicle; the views and sounds are very unique! Here are some:

§ Every morning I SEE about 12,000 kids go by my desk (the noise level would make me assume that number) ready to begin their day at camp. One of them consistently asks me, “Whatchu gonna do today?” as she walks by my desk. She keeps me on track.

§ A little while later I HEAR young voices energetically singing praise songs to the Lord. I don’t drink coffee and this is a great substitute for getting my day started!

§ Then, I HEAR truths from God’s Word being taught, sometimes being received and sometimes being blatantly ignored but the important thing is, kids are hearing truth here!

§ Every once in a while I HEAR The Electric Slide or other such line dances being played outside. I have been known to join in!

§ When lunch time rolls around, I sometimes HEAR chanting: “CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG!” I usually avoid the lunch area during this time although I believe the teachers are attempting to put an end to this practice!

§ I SEE kids proudly display for me various projects they have labored over, new hair-dos, recent “manicures”, or “exquisite” pieces of jewelry as they go by my desk: “Look, Miss Becky!”

§ I SEE and receive plenty of smiles and hugs (probably more than the daily requirement)!

Most importantly, I SEE & HEAR of ways that God is changing the hearts of kids. That’s why I love my job! Even though I’m not directly working with the kids all the time I get to be a behind-the-scenes (or behind-the-desk) part of what God is doing here!

Faith Like a Child

By Jeremy McClain (intern at DayBreak)

Matthew 18:3 "And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

It is funny, the times when I dart into the phone booth unnoticed, emerging as “Super – Christian Man” (please don’t reveal my secret) set out to change the world for Christ, but in actuality, Christ changes me. The “world” that I’m referring to is DayBreak ministries in Lincoln Heights.

I love Jesus Christ, I love studying the Bible, and I love THEOLOGY. I put THEOLOGY in capitol letters but just in case the reader is skimming, I will repeat, I LOVE THEOLOGY. Some may not see this as a problem, but I was thinking, if the Doctrine of Irresistible Grace, Imputed Righteousness etc.. baffles me, how do I think it will go over with the elementary kids?

Recently, an elementary student, with the most eloquent words that I have heard, exemplified and explained, in depth and with clarity, the Doctrine of Repentance. He said, “Andrea whenever you go to church please take me. Do I need any church clothes?” Andrea Coleman replied, “No, you don’t need any church clothes just come as you are.” The child, with joyful eagerness said “Good, good. Cause you know Miss Andrea, I need God, I need church….I am bad.”

WOW, in a child-like manner this student made a statement that many great scholars of the Bible could not make. This child understood the He was not reaching God’s standard of righteousness. This kid’s sinfulness had become a burden to him and had caused him to look for THE Only Way for that burden to be lifted. This child no longer wanted to be slave to sin but instead to be a slave to righteousness. Hallelujah!!! Repentance is the first step to salvation and I pray that the Holy Spirit will complete the work of salvation in this child’s life.

I praise God that He has graciously made the gospel of Jesus Christ simple enough for a child to understand.

I repent for out of pride and self-gratification attempting to make the gospel of Jesus Christ more complex than the even the Bible proclaims.

I beg for the reader of this blog, if fully understanding the complete mind of God is too big of hurdle, to ask God to give you the mind of a child. To take the first step of salvation and repent, recognizing that we are bad and that God is good.

Things I Love About DayBreak!

By Jayme Caldwell (summer intern)

D reams of a better world…our vision is to empower families, by Christ’s relentless and overwhelming love, so the community of Lincoln Heights can become a better, safer place.

A change of pace…I grew up in the country surrounded by fields and farms. This is most certainly a new experience, Washington DC is so diverse and there are so many different people with different stories (and that makes it even more exciting). So far it has been a great experience!

Y ahweh… Day Break is centered on Christ and his ultimate sacrifice for our sins. The main goal for us this summer is to share God’s Word with the children of Lincoln Heights, to spread light in darkness, to love unconditionally as Christ loves us.

B reaking down walls…we go on home visits to each of the students families once a week, this allows us to form a relationship with the parents and hopefully get them more involved while showing them the love of Christ.

R elationship with the Lord…this summer has made me look at my relationship with the Lord in a whole new light. He has been transforming my thoughts on being a servant. I was serving others because I knew it was the “right” thing to do but now I want to serve and help others because I love the Lord! It is amazing how he works J

E nergy… the atmosphere is so uplifting and positive. We have praise and worship every morning and that sets the tone for a day of worshipping our Creator (plus the kids love it!).
Always supportive…no matter whether you are having disciplinary issues in your class or just having a rough day the directors and interns are always there to be a support.

K ids! We have about 30 of the best kids in world! They are so full of energy and have such good hearts; you can’t help but love them!

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

"Undignified"

By Amber Miller (summer intern at DayBreak)

“I will dance, I will sing, to be mad for my king. Nothing, Lord, is hindering this passion in my soul. And I’ll be come even more undignified than this – some might say its foolishness but I’ll be come even MORE undignified than this, leave my pride by my side.” The David Crowder Band

As the Family Circle teacher, I have been blessed with the opportunity to greet the kids each morning and invite them into a time of worship. We start off by discussing the rules of the camp then go over the memory verse for the week. We’ve sung many songs including “Glorious” by Martha Munizzi and “Marvelous Light” by Charlie Hall, but of all of the songs that we’ve sung, the one that seems to be the most liked by the kids has been “Undignified” by The David Crowder Band. This fun, upbeat worship song is based directly from 2 Samuel 6 when the Ark of the Covenant had just been returned to the people. David, in his excitement, danced before the Lord and tore his robes. When he returned home, Saul’s daughter approached him saying that he’d dishonored and made a fool of himself in front of the people. They lyrics to “Undignified” come straight from David’s reply,

“It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s People, Israel – therefore I will celebrate with dance before the LORD. I will be come even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes “
- 2 Samuel 6:22a

The coolest thing about this song is that not only do the kids join in, sing, and clap along with the song, but they also dance around and become “Undignified” right along with it. The word “Undignified” has become quite synonymous with DayBreak, at least in my book – but in a good way. While we are a structured organization, and we expect the kids to follow our rules, we are not afraid to get a little crazy for our King.

I thank God for giving me the opportunity to get a little crazy serving him every day this summer.